The National Robotics League (NRL) 2013 Championships held in Indianapolis this last May,
featured 48 robots built by nearly 200 students from
25 schools across the US. The grueling, exciting, and
educational weekend faceoff of student-built robot
gladiators wrapped up with the robot “Pandemonium”
from Eastern Westmoreland CTC, Latrobe, PA, taking the
title of Grand Champion. Created and sponsored by the
National Tooling and Machining Association (NTMA), the
NRL is designed to help introduce a new generation of
students to the advanced skills and technology of today’s
manufacturing. The competition has doubled in size in
the past two years alone, with twice the number of
students participating and twice the number of robots
entering the competition.

The NTMA was first introduced to the idea of
educational combat robotics via a BotsIQ event in 2005.
When machine shop owners from across the country
saw how involved the competitors were in the event, the
skills they were learning, and the machines they built,
they knew the NTMA needed a program like this to help
connect the manufacturing
industry with the next generation
of technology leaders.

The NTMA began working
with BotsIQ in that same year, and
then in 2008 decided that in order
to really grow the program in
NTMA chapters and emphasize the
program’s connection to the
manufacturing industry, a separate
program was needed. Thus, the
National Robotics League was
born.

While the robots built by NRL
teams obviously share a lineage
with BattleBots, BotsIQ, and all the
combat robotics programs to come
before it, the NRL is unique in that
it places a large emphasis on
connecting teams to industry
partners — not only for financial
and material contributions, but also to serve as mentors
and role models who can help students see how the
work they are doing on their robot translates directly into
experiences and skills that are highly sought by
manufacturing employers and engineering school
recruiters.
Managed by the NTMA, the NRL was founded
thanks to a grant from the National Tooling and
Machining Foundation — a 501(c) 3 non-profit designed
to fund manufacturing education. Begun 20 years ago
and run independently from the NTMA, the Foundation
provided the seed funding for the NRL because combat
robotics is a nice fit for their mission which is to help
members of the US precision custom manufacturing
industry achieve profitable growth and business success
in a global economy through advocacy, advice,
education, networking, information, programs, and
services.
The event format is similar to that of BotsIQ in that a
15 lb weight limit is imposed. True walkers are awarded
a five pound weight allowance. Bots can’t be larger than
National Robotics League
Begins Their 6th Year of
C mbat Competition
; by Kevin M. Berry